Pinkston put that title in his back pocket thanks to a 10-8 win over Aberdeen in Mississippi's Class 3A state championship game last week.

Now the 6-foot-2, 190-pounder is turning his attention to fulfilling another lifelong dream - playing major-college football. Pinkston, in Mobile this week preparing for Saturday's Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Classic at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, said late Tuesday he has lined up visits to Ole Miss on Jan. 21 and Southern Mississippi on Jan. 28.

The Rebels and the Golden Eagles appear to have emerged as the leaders for Pinkston. Alabama, which was involved throughout the fall, is "staying in pretty good, but I really haven't heard from them in a week or two. They're just making sure I'm healthy and keeping my grades up."

Pinkston said Ole Miss and Southern Miss "are pretty even." The younger brother of former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Todd Pinkston said the Rebels' struggles throughout the 2010 campaign won't have any impact on his college choice.

"Every once in awhile, you're going to have a drop-off," Pinkston said. "They're in the rebuilding process right now. They just have to rebuild and get better. They're pretty thin at wide receiver, so (early playing time) would be a big possibility if I decided to go there."

Pinkston, a three-star prospect ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 20 player in Mississippi, said he will make his decision public on National Signing Day.